Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1887-04-23
IN i86i-x.
. Chapter in the Life of X. Eeidler.


RADIO, where / was engaged in mining; X
Beidler being in camp with us, he being
engaged in running a pack train into the
gulch.
On this trip X. proposed that we should
take a bear hunt, and accordingly we start
ed on the proposed hunt, and after an alb
sence of five days we returned, it having
proven to be a "bare" hunt, indeed. We
were confronted with a binding snow
storm during the whole time We were
gone, and we were glad enough to return
to camp.
After our return X. came to me and said
."Uncle George, there is a family here that
will have to be moved out before this
storm becomes any worse, as they are en-
tirely out of provisions and without means
of procuring any"
The family was known as the Jones
family, and consisted of mar and wife, a
grown son by a former wife and a little
son and daughter.
"Now," said K. (who was always ready
to help others I%sooner than himselfo 81
want YOU to so with me and help them
across the range to California gulch."
We formed d party of eight men to as
sist them out IF the deep snow of the
mountains. acrossthe range, a distance OF
eighty miles.
The snow was still falling with ~increas-
cd fury and was, al that time, three feet
deep on the level. We started on the 3rd
of December and tayeled but three miles
on our journey t~hatday. On the fourth
we travelled to theimouth of the canon
known as California canon, covering a dls-
lance of nine miles md camped.
On the next morning x. remarked that
we were making vey slow progress, as 1t
was still showing vey hard, and proposed
that I should take ahumber OF the best
animals and p~roceedahead with the wo-
man and children, vile he would BRING
pthe rear with the porer animals.
I selected Henry Iern's mule for the
woman and little girlo ride, and the no
ted mule. Black Besswhich afterward be-
came famous. as connected with some of
KS adventures in Motana, to carry the
woman's feather bed ad bedding, and also
Robt Coburn's sorre horse and a bay
mare of my own.
Jones had one COW, b which we packed
a part of the househel goods; but she
proved to be an unworg pack animal and
stampeded, scattering hr burden promis-
.cuously over the snoW.l
WE rot loaded and s1rted, leaving y.
and party behind, with sones to manage
the COW.
At about three o'cid1 that day we
reached Dead Mans guh, $50 called on
account Of a party of Yen having been
murdered there by the Apaches) and a
strong northwest wind s.ving risen we
were forced to camp; hang no tent, we
ran some canvass around e trees in order
to protect the woman az children ana
keen them from freezingYhile we put in
our time building fires andhovellng snow
to obtain grass for the stoe The location
of the camp was about senty-fTe yards
from where the men had bn murdered.
X. and party camped AIT four miles
in the rear. On the next hrning, it be
ing too cold for the womalnd children
to travel, X. passed US and bike tie trail,
but. our animals being stroer than his,
we overlook him that event and we all
camped together on Rock elk.
We put in that night, buihg fires and
shoveling snow, catching aEp now and
then leaning against a tree.Fhe follow
ing morning we travelled tether for a
short distance, but x. sent a n to me and
told me to go ahead withoutaim as his
animals we're worn out and hyould have
to camp or 60 slower. ehortafterWards
Jones. who was leading the me- on which
his wife was riding gave the anal a jerk
in crossing a stream, causing fanlmal to
throw her into the stream, andmpelling
her to travel the rest of the dan her wet
clothing. We pitched camp + night in
a little park, having traveledearly all
day in a long strip OF timber.
We were gladdened next lrning at
seeing the sun rise bright andaar, and
we quickly packed up and stad. We
were about six miles from the It Of the
range, where we arrived about o'clock
and concluded to try and cross e range
that night. After proceeding ait three
miles, Black Bess gave out and Nld not
proceed farther; the COW alsoecame